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-my pagnapagna-

(July 16, 2016 a Saturday)

Because I only have the day to "explore" and walking my way up on that winding very steep road will take me around 4 to 5 hours time, that's when a motor bike ride is the other option and it's necessary.

The ride cost wasn't that cheap but it gave me more time for the exploration.

It was a little bit gloomy on our way up on that road that branches from the main road near the welcome arch to Barangay Anaao, some parts of the road above were dirt road that turned muddy because of the rains. The driver told me that they (the jeeps and motor bikes) usually put chains on their wheels to add traction and the road turns into a messy mushy mud where you can plant rice on.

We passed by Batbato, and the junction at Marmarsang then made our way to Abatan and finally at Daddaay barangay proper.

I went down at their auditorium area and went around. Everyone is very busy these days as it is rice planting season.

I met a couple in farmer's clothing as I went near the chapel area which is just near the Daddaay Elementary School. I smiled, greeted them and I told them that I will just get some photos in the area and they smiled back and said that their rocky mountain is regarded as "mother and father" that resembles two faces with eyes. Hmmm? But it's not that clear when you look at it. It needs a very imaginative mind as a Pablo Picasso portrait :) .

I went back to the roadside waterfalls and lingered there for a while. That waterfall was made up of small scattered cascades along the crevices of a whitish composite rock. Its waters (from above) were also tapped to irrigate their rice terraces using black hoses.

I returned to Daddaay barangay proper to photograph the waterfalls that lies far far away at the mountainside. How funny and sad, I don't have that "zoom" lens. I just sat there overlooking the rice terraces, the distant mountains (Bakun), the great waterfalls cascading and a large bird hovers at a distance. I just hoped that the videos and photographs will turn out fine even if it was just miniscule.

My last year's guide was not around and everyone were very busy planting rice and so, I can't go near those waterfalls. I just admired them from a great distance.

It rained lightly once in awhile.

Looked at my watch, with my calculation of some 4 to 5 hours of walking back to downtown Alilem, I think it was time to leave. I don't want to get caught on some heavy rains in the late afternoons.

At 11:30 in the morning, I walked back on that road going to the Abatan junction passing along that roadside waterfalls. At the second roadside waterfalls, I met a man tending his carabaos. His name is "Gabriel Bulay" and we talked about the waterfalls in the area. It was from him where I've learned that the name of the first roadside waterfalls I went is "Kadupdupiang". He also told me that there is also a waterfall where we were at that moment, it is called "Dayag". Its cascades can be seen at the otherside by going down from the road to the trail into a clearing and then look back. I thanked him, went down to the trail as he told me and there it was the two cascades of the "Dayag" falls.

After taking some photographs and videos, I went back to the road above and continued walking under the hot noon sun. I reached the junction at Abatan then took that road again on my left.

After passing by the sitio Marmarsang junction, a little boy passed by driving a motorcycle. In my mind I thought that he is too young to drive a motorcycle but he was good at it, at least from the looks of it. After maybe 10 to 15 minutes, the boy on motorcycle came back hurrying then he stopped a few meters away in front of me and looked back. He wants me to take a ride with him as he saw me walking.

I'm not sure but I rode anyway.

Many times, he swerves as he cannot control the added weight (me and my backpack).

"Sigurado ka ba kayam?" (Are you sure, you can?) I asked him.

"Wen manong idi siyam nga tawen ko paylang nga nagrugi nga agmotmotor" (Yes sir, I started driving since I was nine years old) he answered back and learned that he is 14 years old now.

He came back because his cell phone got lost somewhere and tries to look for it at barangay Batbato where he came from earlier.

I alighted at barangay Batbato and thanked him and gave him a chocolate that I bought earlier for my snack which I insisted him to accept it.

I continued walking on that long and winding road.

Although it was easier going down, the road was very steep that my toes hurt at it got shoved and pressed to the inside front of my shoes. It continued on like that and along the way, it started to drizzle.

Seen some "kalaw" birds or hornbills and they made some distinctive sounds.

I made it finally to the main road below and took shelter at the corner waiting shed (3:30 pm). It rained hard as I sat there. After some few minutes, I brought out my umbrella and walk my way to downtown Alilem where I rode a passenger motorcycle going to Sudipen, La Union.